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I drive a 2003 4.4 X5. It has about 111,000 miles on it and unfortunately im having terrible transmission problems with it. Simply putting it into drive, I need to wait a good 5 seconds until the car is in gear. I took it to my local dealership and they said they would have to replace the entire transmission for about half of what the car is worth now. Is there a way to fix an automatic transmission without replacing the entire thing? I'm considering just selling the car.
thanks

EDIT: I actually have a 2003 X5 4.4i, with the 5 speed transmission, not the 6 speed found in the 2005 and up. As i posted further down also, the car is having clutch problems I believe, the transmission slips hard almost in any gear, and jumps and catches gear. I dont beleive that changing the mezatronic unit or upgrading the firmware for the tranny control will help me in this situation.

Ok i guess I didn't really describe the problem correctly. The car slips in almost every gear during hard acceleration, which leads me to believe that the clutch plate is ruined. Is there any way to crack open this transmission, and have someone work on it? or do we have to replace the entire tranny.

After 111K miles you probably do need a rebuilt or new box. You can have your transmission rebuilt at a specialty shop for a lot less than the dealer will charge. You can also have a box from a dismantler (salvage yard) installed at even less cost. I have had excellent luck with both over the years. I look for an independent shop that just does transmissions and rear ends. Ideally this is a shop that other dealers use for this specialized work. I avoid the franchise operations, but that is just my personal preference. Visit the shop and look around the work area, if it is spotless and well organized with high end cars on the hoists you have found a good one. Avoid the shade tree operations with parts piled up and junkers parked outside. Good luck!

that is good. i have the same problems. got the same answer. replace the whole transmission for $9,100.00. After picking up from the dealership yesterday, i drove it in sport mode and it has not been jerky. i dont see how the whole transmission needs to be replaced if it works fine in sport mode. I will talk with the mechanic. thanks

This time they changed MEZATRONIC UNIT, part of transmission, now working fine! Pm, me if u need more info

Hi Zibawala, My x5 has the same problem kick in the butt from first gear to second gear.
started from 30.000 miles. It's been in the shop many times. first, they said it's the power of the 4.4 engine, after that they could not duplicate the problem. they said it has the latest software upgrade.
now few months passed warranty and today just hit 50.000 miles. problem is, it's getting worse. Would you please explain more about Mezatronic unit? at what mileage did you get yours replaced and did they do it under warranty?
Thanks

I had the same issue with my 2005 X5 4.4 Sport Package. I'm embarrassed by the solution. Mine has had this issue for some time and the dealer tried a software fix. It did not correct it. So, being out of warranty, I just kept driving and mostly used manual mode. The only time it really presented a problem was a rolling stop, usually on a hill. Well, about month or so ago my tire pressure light came on and one of my front tires was low, but I checked all of them. THe rest were around 30 PSI... still a little low. Well, if you look inside your door panel when you open the door, you'll notice that it says for the larger rear tires they should be inflated to 39 PSI. SO I filled them all to spec AND NOT A PROBLEM SINCE. I'm kinda surpised as to the sensitivity of the transmission. This should give my torque converter a break too. Put AIR in your tires and see what happens... 39 PSI rear for the larger tires (check your door panel).

I drive a 2003 4.4 X5. It has about 111,000 miles on it and unfortunately im having terrible transmission problems with it. Simply putting it into drive, I need to wait a good 5 seconds until the car is in gear. I took it to my local dealership and they said they would have to replace the entire transmission for about half of what the car is worth now. Is there a way to fix an automatic transmission without replacing the entire thing? I'm considering just selling the car.
thanks

EDIT: I actually have a 2003 X5 4.4i, with the 5 speed transmission, not the 6 speed found in the 2005 and up. As i posted further down also, the car is having clutch problems I believe, the transmission slips hard almost in any gear, and jumps and catches gear. I dont beleive that changing the mezatronic unit or upgrading the firmware for the tranny control will help me in this situation.

Hi,, tell me exactly what problems you are having with the gearbox, I have repaired countless gearbox problems without the need for the transmission to be replaced.

Hi,, tell me exactly what problems you are having with the gearbox, I have repaired countless gearbox problems without the need for the transmission to be replaced.

Cheers
Gerry

Hi,

Can you please help me find a solution for my problem aswell?
I have a X5 of 2004 with almost 295000km and since yesterday I have a problem with my transmission aswell. When I put it in R it starts driving forwards instead of backwards! When I put it in D it takes a few seconds before it moves.

I went to the dealer and they said they need to change the gearbox but that's so expensive! I hope that there is a solution that doesn't involve changing the gearbox because the car isn't worth that much anymore. I hope you can give me some tips.

Can you please help me find a solution for my problem aswell?
I have a X5 of 2004 with almost 295000km and since yesterday I have a problem with my transmission aswell. When I put it in R it starts driving forwards instead of backwards! When I put it in D it takes a few seconds before it moves.

I went to the dealer and they said they need to change the gearbox but that's so expensive! I hope that there is a solution that doesn't involve changing the gearbox because the car isn't worth that much anymore. I hope you can give me some tips.

Thanks

Hey There

I willhelp as much as I can,,but I need to some more details, does the car display the symptoms when it is cold or warm, have you lost the kickdown gear, can you use your gearbox in maual mode, has a message TRANSFAIL PROG appeared on the dash, when you select drive does the car take a few seconds before it engages gear, but you experience a loud thump before it moves off.

I willhelp as much as I can,,but I need to some more details, does the car display the symptoms when it is cold or warm, have you lost the kickdown gear, can you use your gearbox in maual mode, has a message TRANSFAIL PROG appeared on the dash, when you select drive does the car take a few seconds before it engages gear, but you experience a loud thump before it moves off.

Cheers

Gerry

Hi Gerry,

Thank you so much for your fast reply

There's nog change in temperature these days so I don't think it has anything to do with heat or cold. I can use the gearbox in manual mode but it still takes a few seconds before the car actually moves slowly and it makes a noise (it's the same movement and noise when I put it in D). When I put it in R it starts to drive forwards immeadiatly without making any noise.

There's nog change in temperature these days so I don't think it has anything to do with heat or cold. I can use the gearbox in manual mode but it still takes a few seconds before the car actually moves slowly and it makes a noise (it's the same movement and noise when I put it in D). When I put it in R it starts to drive forwards immeadiatly without making any noise.

Hey

When i say cold i mean does the car display the symptoms when the car has just been started up ( cold start ) or when it has been ran, can you describe the noise for me, I think i know what maybe causing you this issue but I need to be sure first, run through the whole sequence of what happens when you put your key in the car for the first time, what mode gear you select, what noise appears etc

When i say cold i mean does the car display the symptoms when the car has just been started up ( cold start ) or when it has been ran, can you describe the noise for me, I think i know what maybe causing you this issue but I need to be sure first, run through the whole sequence of what happens when you put your key in the car for the first time, what mode gear you select, what noise appears etc

Gerry

Hello,

When I start the car it doesn't make an odd noise, just a normal noise like it always does. Then when I want to move it I put it in D and when I give gass to advance the car makes a noise that you can compare with giving to much gass and then the car starts moving so it doesn't move immeadialty as it is supposed to when you put it in D. When I'm driving the car in D there is no noise it's only when I stop and move again that there's the same noise and the delay in movement as when I've just put it in D. When I put the transmission in R it moves forwards without any noise (just like it is supposed to do in D).

When I start the car it doesn't make an odd noise, just a normal noise like it always does. Then when I want to move it I put it in D and when I give gass to advance the car makes a noise that you can compare with giving to much gass and then the car starts moving so it doesn't move immeadialty as it is supposed to when you put it in D. When I'm driving the car in D there is no noise it's only when I stop and move again that there's the same noise and the delay in movement as when I've just put it in D. When I put the transmission in R it moves forwards without any noise (just like it is supposed to do in D).

[/QUOTH

Hey There

Ok,,ive narrowed it down to three main cause which are all connected to your issue, now the main point to consider here is that your gearbox components will require to be replaced and not the gearbox itself, any company that tells you the transmission has failed doesnt know abouth the BMW X5 gearbox, as all they will do is refurb the stator and bull ring and install a new one way clutch and or stator and torque convertor.

Now from your description my guess without seeing the car is that the one way clutch and stator is at fault, basically the stator's job is to redirect the fluid returning from the torque converter in an opposite direction, now if this does not happen then a mix up of gears occurs, basically you might have a build up of trans fluid from the turbine part of the torque converter which the stator is suppose to redirect,,now in common issues the stator fails, thus leads to one way clutch failure and the torque converter spins and spins until it can find engagement to drive forward, so in theory your one way clutch and stator need to be checked out along with new trans fluid, a cost for a one way clutch and sator kit is roughly £ 700, to take the gearbox out is 4 hours, to refit the parts is 2 hours, then refit the gearbox, im pretty positive that this is what is causing your issue,,for a garage to charge you for this work,,,,id pay no more than £1600,and your car will drive like a dream.

Ok,,ive narrowed it down to three main cause which are all connected to your issue, now the main point to consider here is that your gearbox components will require to be replaced and not the gearbox itself, any company that tells you the transmission has failed doesnt know abouth the BMW X5 gearbox, as all they will do is refurb the stator and bull ring and install a new one way clutch and or stator and torque convertor.

Now from your description my guess without seeing the car is that the one way clutch and stator is at fault, basically the stator's job is to redirect the fluid returning from the torque converter in an opposite direction, now if this does not happen then a mix up of gears occurs, basically you might have a build up of trans fluid from the turbine part of the torque converter which the stator is suppose to redirect,,now in common issues the stator fails, thus leads to one way clutch failure and the torque converter spins and spins until it can find engagement to drive forward, so in theory your one way clutch and stator need to be checked out along with new trans fluid, a cost for a one way clutch and sator kit is roughly £ 700, to take the gearbox out is 4 hours, to refit the parts is 2 hours, then refit the gearbox, im pretty positive that this is what is causing your issue,,for a garage to charge you for this work,,,,id pay no more than £1600,and your car will drive like a dream.

Hope this is of help to you,,,,,,,

Regards

Gerry

Thank you so much, I know it's not easy to say what's wrong with a car without seeing/driving it. I left my car at the garage yesterday and they promised me to check alle the possibilities of what's wrong instead of making a a hasty (and very expensive) decision to change the gearbox. Monday I'll hear what they have to say and I'll keep you posted.

Thank you so much, I know it's not easy to say what's wrong with a car without seeing/driving it. I left my car at the garage yesterday and they promised me to check alle the possibilities of what's wrong instead of making a a hasty (and very expensive) decision to change the gearbox. Monday I'll hear what they have to say and I'll keep you posted.

Ok no probs,,just remember the gearbox should never need replacing,, its the components around it that actually drive the box,,,get the garage to drain a little transmission oil to see if it is burnt, if it is the problem lies with the one way clutch,,this is the key component along with the torque converter to drive your car,,,,best wishes with it and i hope it all works out ok

Hi Gerry, u seem knowledgable, I had a problem today with my tranny, I was in Reverse rolling back, then I put it in Drive, and gased it quickly, it didnt move, then engaged with a clunck, then as if it was in 2nd gear instead 1st, then the message Tans. program failure appeared, no check engine light or anything, I decided to go in manual mode, at first it did the same thing, then it worked, then I thought I will program the trainny by using manual mode, but after driving it for a while, put it back in regular automatic mode, it worked fine, except one time I was almost stopping, and I had to move fast, the clunk happened again. works fine in manual mode. never tried sports mode though. any ideas Gerry?? thanks
Zee

Hi Gerry, u seem knowledgable, I had a problem today with my tranny, I was in Reverse rolling back, then I put it in Drive, and gased it quickly, it didnt move, then engaged with a clunck, then as if it was in 2nd gear instead 1st, then the message Tans. program failure appeared, no check engine light or anything, I decided to go in manual mode, at first it did the same thing, then it worked, then I thought I will program the trainny by using manual mode, but after driving it for a while, put it back in regular automatic mode, it worked fine, except one time I was almost stopping, and I had to move fast, the clunk happened again. works fine in manual mode. never tried sports mode though. any ideas Gerry?? thanks
Zee

Hi Mate

Trans Fail Prog means the gearbox electronic gears from 1 -4 will not be selected by the main gear computer, BMW X5'S WERE BUILT WITH A FAIL PROOF GEAR ( 5TH GEAR ) when the gearbox components fail and trans Fail Progrm appears then the electronic gears 1- 4 shutdown and the car puts itself into 5th gear because it knows there is a problem.

Trans Fail Progrm,,,,can mean several points,,,but first can you tell me what is your mileage / kms on the car, do you drive it hard ? was the car just warmed up, or cold start when the problem started, have you lost your kickdown, try putting the car on a hill, shut the engine off and restart to see what happens, the clunk you have experienced is the torque converter and the stator not sychronising with the clutch possibly due to wear, if you can take it for a drive both in auto sports first and manual and try dropping the gears to see what happens.

Let me know how it goes so that i can advise further, once we can narrow down the options then i can more or less diagnose the fault,

Hey Gerry, first thanks for your time to help people
I was driving the x5 for at least 100 miles when this happened, seeing my mailbox while in the car, tried to take off quickly, and it happened. As far as miles I have 90k miles on it, I do drive it as supposed to, but one time I put it in manual mode when I first got it, and I stayed on 1st gear and tried to shift the +/- in the opposite direction, to the front thinking it is +, which ended up staying long on first, that's the only thing I remember I did wrong with it, the previous owner was my friend, and knowing how he drives, he might be a harsh driver especially that this is a sport package too, the big wheels might hurt it more, but today I will try the things u gave me to narrow the problem down, just to let u know that the car is driving fine, only in certain places this happens. I will try it today and get back to u, thanks

Hey Gerry, first thanks for your time to help people
I was driving the x5 for at least 100 miles when this happened, seeing my mailbox while in the car, tried to take off quickly, and it happened. As far as miles I have 90k miles on it, I do drive it as supposed to, but one time I put it in manual mode when I first got it, and I stayed on 1st gear and tried to shift the +/- in the opposite direction, to the front thinking it is +, which ended up staying long on first, that's the only thing I remember I did wrong with it, the previous owner was my friend, and knowing how he drives, he might be a harsh driver especially that this is a sport package too, the big wheels might hurt it more, but today I will try the things u gave me to narrow the problem down, just to let u know that the car is driving fine, only in certain places this happens. I will try it today and get back to u, thanks

Hey Zee

Yea no probs about you coming back to me, try the things i said as they all point to certain parts of the gearbox components, one thing iam sure of is that your gearbox will be fine, they are practically bullet proof and should never need replaced, there is a small particle filter inside the gearbox that usually needs replacing around your mileage, but try out first so we can narrow it down

Hi Gerry, very busy sunday for me around the house!!
I took the truck for a ride and did what u told me and here what I found out:
the kickdown is still available in aut. reg. mode and in sport too.
tried it in sport first, drives perfect, all gears change the way they supposed to, and in manual same thing, all of them work up and down, then I tried it in reg. aut. mode and it drove really nice too, but the whole drive was around 10 miles, hopefully this will help you(and me) sort the problem out
one more thing, I thought these transmissions should have a lifetime oil, I thought I read that in the manual, u know better, I am waiting for ur reply on fire!
I can't thank u enough man!
Zee

Hi Gerry, very busy sunday for me around the house!!
I took the truck for a ride and did what u told me and here what I found out:
the kickdown is still available in aut. reg. mode and in sport too.
tried it in sport first, drives perfect, all gears change the way they supposed to, and in manual same thing, all of them work up and down, then I tried it in reg. aut. mode and it drove really nice too, but the whole drive was around 10 miles, hopefully this will help you(and me) sort the problem out
one more thing, I thought these transmissions should have a lifetime oil, I thought I read that in the manual, u know better, I am waiting for ur reply on fire!
I can't thank u enough man!
Zee

Hi Zee

Did you do a hill start ?????,,,,,,sorry i meant to say to you to pull away in manual on third gear to see if there is any slip??? sorry about that i meant to say earlier

Well the gears are working fine by the sounds of things,,so no probs with the gearbox, the gearbox oil has a lifetime fill, BMW class a lifetime fill and a cars lifetime span as 100ks, this is where the life of the car ends, tell me was the car still moving when you reversed it and then selected the forward gear ??